The 1991 Score baseball card set was unique in that it featured fantasy teams comprised of players from across different eras meant to represent the ultimate dream teams. Among these fantasized lineups was the “1991 Score Baseball Cards Dream Team”. Unlike modern all-star teams and awards that focus heavily on stats from just one recent season, this dream team selection took a broader historical perspective to assemble the best possible roster regardless of era.
Assembling the perfect baseball team across all of history is, of course, subjective with many legitimate ways to approach player evaluation and position choices. The editors at Score put thought into a variety of factors like peak performance, career stats, hardware earned like MVP awards and championships, advanced metrics before they were widely used, iconic status, and other less tangible attributes like leadership. The end result was a star-studded starting lineup and pitching rotation with many of the most acclaimed names in baseball history represented.
Behind the plate, they opted for Yankee legend Yogi Berra as the catcher. In a career from 1946 to 1965 largely spent in pinstripes, Berra was a legendary leader and winner with an impressive 10 World Series championships. Offensively, he hit .285 lifetime while leading the league in doubles twice. Defensively, he gunned down over 30% of base stealers.
At first base was the incomparable Lou Gehrig. From 1923 until his retirement in 1939 at age 36 due to ALS, “The Iron Horse” delivered Hall of Fame feats for the Yankees like a .340 career average, 493 home runs, lifetime walks/strikeouts of 1.275, two AL MVPs and six World Series rings in his 17 seasons. He holds the record for most grand slams (23) and once played in 2,130 straight games, a record that still stands today.
At second base was legendary leadoff hitter Joe Morgan. An offensive focal point of the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s, Morgan won back-to-back MVP awards in 1975-76 and led the NL in OBP four times. He was a five-time All-Star known for patience, power, and speed with a slash line of .271/.392/.433 in his career from 1963 to 1984 spent mostly with the Reds and Astros.
At shortstop was the classy and productive Cal Ripken Jr. who played his entire 21-year career for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001. Ripken tallied 3,184 career hits while redefining durability and work ethic by playing in 2,632 straight games, breaking Lou Gehrig’s record. He won two MVPs and helped the O’s to a World Series title in 1983 while boasting a .276 average and 431 home runs at the position until retirement.
Rounding out the infield at third base was the transcendent Mike Schmidt. From 1972 to 1989 with the Philadelphia Phillies, “Schmidt hit 548 career home runs primarily as a third baseman, still the most all time by a primary third baseman. He won an unprecedented three NL MVP awards and was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner who led the league in home runs eight times and RBI four times while hitting .267 for his great Hall of Fame career.
In the outfield, taking up centerfield for the dream team was Willie Mays. From 1951 through 1973, primarily with the New York and San Francisco Giants, Mays thrilled fans with electrifying plays and a .302 average. Nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid”, he amassed 660 career home runs and 338 stolen bases while winning two MVPs and helping lead the Giants to several pennants and the 1954 World Series title. He’s regarded by many as the best all-around player in baseball history for his five tool play.
In left field, a spot was reserved for Ted Williams. From 1939 to 1960 spent mostly with the Boston Red Sox, Williams hit a career .344 average which is the highest of all time for a qualifying player in the post-19th century era. He also blasted 521 home runs and had a staggering 1.716 OPS in his Hall of Fame career. Williams won two Triple Crowns and was a 19-time All-Star, two-time batting champion, and AL MVP who impressively hit .406 in 1941, the last player to bat over .400 for a season.
In right field was the great Babe Ruth. From 1914 to 1935 with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, “the Bambino” redefined what was possible for a slugger by hitting 714 career home runs, a total that stood as the all-time record for 38 years until Hank Aaron broke it. Offensively, Ruth had a career .349 OBP and .690 SLG en route to blasting 60 homers in a season three times. On the mound early in his career, he also went 94-46 as a pitcher and helped the Red Sox to two World Series titles.
On the mound, as the ace of the pitching staff was Walter Johnson. From 1907 to 1927 primarily with the Washington Senators, “The Big Train” won 417 games against only 279 losses with a career ERA of 2.17. He led the AL in ERA 11 times, strikeouts 12 seasons and posted a record 110 shutouts over his Hall of Fame career spent entirely in D.C. His longevity and dominance at throwing his legendary “smokeball” fastball earned him a spot among the top pitchers in history.
Next in the rotation was Lefty Grove, who from 1925 to 1941 amassed 300 wins while primarily pitching for the Philadelphia A’s and Red Sox. He struck out nearly 2,500 batters and from 1929-33 when he won four ERA titles and two pitching Triple Crowns, Grove emerged as the first true superstar southpaw. He led the AL in shutouts six times and still holds the single season record for lowest opponent batting average of .178 in 1931.
Rounding out the rotation at number three was Sandy Koufax, whose brilliant peak from 1961-1966 with the Los Angeles Dodgers was arguably unmatched. In that span, he won three Cy Youngs and one MVP while leading the NL in wins four times and strikeouts five times. Among those incredible seasons, in 1966 he became the first pitcher ever to twirl four no-hitters. Across his 12-year career he went 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA and struck out 2,396 batters including a record four in a World Series game.
In the bullpen, the closer role went to Mariano Rivera who from 1995 through 2013 spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the New York Yankees. Over that span, he notched 652 saves to set the all-time career saves record while maintaining a preposterous 2.21 ERA and 0.992 WHIP. Rivera pioneered the closer role and became perhaps the most reliable ninth inning man in baseball history with an iconic cutter that provided repeated clutch late-inning heroics.
Meanwhile, the setup man job belonged to Rollie Fingers. From 1968 to 1985, he emerged as a standout reliever for several franchises including the A’s with whom he won the World Series in 1972 and 1974. Fingers racked up 341 career saves at a 2.90 ERA out of the bullpen and won the AL MVP in 1981 to recognize his elite conversion rate as a premier setup ace. His distinctive sidearm delivery produced with pinpoint control made him highly effective in high leverage situations.
This star-studded collection of talent would have been virtually impossible to beat across eras. But assembling these types of hypothetical squads requires creative consideration of diverse factors, and reasonable people may disagree on alternative selections or arrangements. Still, the editors at Score crafted a convincing Dream Team starting nine and pitching staff that leveraged the best attributes and performances found throughout baseball’s illustrious history up until that point in a fun conceptual exercise that pushed fans to contemplate new ways of evaluating the game’s greatest stars.
